Dr. Brenda MacMenamin

Teaching Techniques of Jesus by Herman Harrell Horne is a life changing book for me. I never thought of reading the Bible in terms of studying how Jesus taught. This book makes me want to start in the New Testament and leisurely read from Matthew to Revelation with this idea in mind!

The chapter on “His Attitude Toward Children” should be required reading for every parent and educator, especially those in the Kingdom of God. I agree with his statement, “… the attitude of Jesus toward children is the best we know in education today.” He brought out these scriptures in this chapter:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”  ~ Matthew 23:37

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!” ~ Luke 13:34

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.”  ~ Mark 9:42

“Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”   ~ Mark 9:37

“Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” ~ Mat 18:14

“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.”    ~ Mat 18:10

I’ve always loved how Jesus treats children, in direct opposition to his disciples who remind me of how easy it is to be “Type A” in the Lord’s work and ignore His very heart.  

Indeed we see that nurturing and training the next generation is the very essence of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Yet our culture has convinced parents across our nation that they are not “qualified” or anointed for this work. They believe that it takes experts and a Village instead the heart and blessing of Almighty God.

He says in the chapter, “Jesus in Educational History” that “the place of Jesus in educational history is central and greatest, on the basis not of personal loyalty, but objective fact because… He taught the highest moral and spiritual truths: God is father, man is brother, the will is free, the soul is immortal, the ideal social order is to come on earth, women and children are to be honored, the life of sacrificial love is supreme.”

Herman Harrell Horne asks us, in closing one chapter, “In what respects do we commonly fail to exemplify love, truth and freedom in our attitude toward our children?”

I would offer that the way that we would fail the most is to send them to a place where they are separated from His love, truth and freedom, that is, in the public/government schools. 

May God Almighty continue to anoint us to rescue parents and children from indoctrination away from Him. Then we can seek Him as to how to restore America’s Biblical heritage. Parents and children can sit at His feet together and say, as His followers of old did, “We know that Thou art a teacher come from God” and “Thou hast the words of eternal life!”

Learning, in Him,

Bren

Renewing our minds is a transforming process which begins right at our commitment to Christ’s salvation and Lordship of our lives. We receive His Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We then begin this wonderful journey to know Him and the power of His resurrection. We grow as we read His Word, begin to understand, know and practice it. What an adventure!

Would you like to join me in a study to do this? This is the first baby step that we guide you into to develop your own Biblical Philosophy of Education.

I hope you join us!

© 2021 Mrs. Brenda MacMenamin, All Rights Reserved. Permission given to share pages and posts in entirety.

Sign up for the FREE weekly blog. I will be sharing bits each week about Biblical Worldview Education and methodology.

If you knew that our history has been re-written in the early 1900’s would it matter to you? Does Truth Matter?

Recently a friend mentioned that the Pilgrims tried communism and that it failed for them. This is true, but what some do not realize is that this communal life was forced upon them. They had sold all that they had in Holland to venture to America. As the Pilgrims were closing their deal with the Virginia Company, Robert Cushman changed the original agreement, whose terms were broad and vague but were understood to be free enterprise. Among the “new conditions” were:

• #3 said that “all profits and benefits… shall remain in the common stock until division.” 
• #5 “… the capital and profits… shall be equally divided…” 
• #10 “That all such persons as are of this colony, are to have their food, drink, clothing, and all provisions, out of the common stock and goods of the said colony.”

The Pilgrims appealed to the Virginia Company. They sent back letters stating their concern about the new conditions, “which all are against.” But at this point, they had nothing to go back to and had the vision to go to America.

“… having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia…”  ~ Mayflower Compact

Of course we know that having lost valuable time and resources in waiting for the Virginia Company to finally send them, they arrived late in winter. Half of them passed away within 3 months from inadequate food, sickness and harsh weather. The Lord did send the miracle of Samoset and Squanto (which is another delightful story!)

But they could not prosper living under the communism forced on them by the Virginia company. Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation” shares his perspective:

All this whille no supply was heard of, neither knew they when they might expecte any. So they begane to thinke how they might raise as much corne as they could, and obtaine a beter crope then they had done, that they might not still thus languish in miserie. At length, after much debate of things, the Govr (with ye advise of ye cheefest amongest them) gave way that they should set corne every man for his owne perticuler, and in that regard trust to them selves; in all other things to goe on in ye generall way as before. And so assigned to every family a parcell of land, according to the proportion of their number for that end, only for present use (but made no devission for inheritance), and ranged all boys & youth under some familie. This had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corne was planted then other waise would have bene by any means ye Govr or any other could use, and saved him a great deall of trouble, and gave farr better contente. The women now wente willingly into ye feild, and tooke their litle-ons with them to set corne, which before would aledg weaknes, and inabilitie; whom to have compelled would have bene thought great tiranie and oppression.

The experience that was had in this com̅one course and condition, tried sundrie years, and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanitie of that conceite of Platos & other ancients, applauded by some of later times;—that ye taking away of propertie, and bringing in com̅unitie into a comone wealth, would make them happy and florishing; as if they were wiser then God. For this comunitie (so farr as it was) was found to breed much confusion & discontent, and retard much imploymēt that would have been to their benefite and comforte. For ye yong-men that were most able and fitte for labour & service did repine that they should spend their time & streingth to worke for other mens wives and children, with out any recompence. The strong, or man of parts, had no more in devission of victails & cloaths, then he that was weake and not able to doe a quarter ye other could; this was thought injuestice. The aged and graver men to be ranked and equalised in labours, and victails, cloaths, &c., with ye meaner & yonger sorte, thought it some indignite & disrespect unto them. And for mens wives to be commanded to doe servise for other men, as dresing their meate, washing their cloaths, &c., they deemd it a kind of slaverie, neither could many husbands well brooke it. Upon ye poynte all being to have alike, and all to doe alike, they thought them selves in ye like condition, and one as good as another; and so, if it did not cut of those [164]relations that God hath set amongest men, yet it did at least much diminish and take of ye mutuall respects that should be preserved amongst them. And would have bene worse if they had been men of another condition. Let none objecte this is men's corruption, and nothing to ye course it selfe. I answer, seeing all men have this corruption in them, God in his wisdome saw another course fiter for them.”  (Emphasis mine) 

Well this was obviously before the Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary! But you can see, that they were suffering under communism. They did not choose it but they had signed an agreement and were trying to honor that agreement. If communism could have worked, wouldn’t it have worked for this hardworking, God-fearing people? But Bradford says that as soon as they required each man to work “for his owne particular”, that “it made all hands very industrious… whom to have compelled would have bene thought great tiranie and oppression.”

Bradford asserts that the Virginia Company thought, “ye taking away of propertie, and bringing in com̅unitie into a comone wealth, would make them happy and florishing; as if they were wiser then God.” 

Translated this means:

…the taking away of property, and bringing in community into a common wealth (communism), would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser then God.

WOW!!

He then closes this section with this glorious and instructive phrase:

I answer, seeing all men have this corruption in them, God in his wisdome saw another course fiter for them.”

Is this what we learned in high school? Probably not, although there have been some teachers teaching from original documents in every season. But very few are learning this now. Doesn’t learning this way bring His Story alive!

Will you be intentional in your child’s education? Will you determine now before God Almighty to learn and teach this way? Let’s ask for His help!

Father, we cry out to You, help us educate our little ones. Anoint us to teach the “Mighty Deeds of God” (Ps 78) to the next generation. Lead us by Your Spirit. You are our Waymaker. We thank You in advance for Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ glorious Name we pray… Amen!

Would you like to join me in this quest to Renew Your Mind? I am hosting an online “Renewing Your Mind” that starts this Monday! Please join us.

Renewing our minds is a transforming process which begins right at our commitment to Christ’s salvation and Lordship of our lives. We receive His Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We then begin this wonderful journey to know Him and the power of His resurrection. We grow as we read His Word, begin to understand, know and practice it. What an adventure!

Would you like to join me in a study to do this? This is the first baby step that we guide you into to develop your own Biblical Philosophy of Education.

I hope you join us!

© 2021 Mrs. Brenda MacMenamin, All Rights Reserved. Permission given to share pages and posts in entirety.

Sign up for the FREE weekly blog. I will be sharing bits each week about Biblical Worldview Education and methodology.

Can we reclaim our culture by reclaiming our language? Doesn’t that sound wonderfully simple? Think of a few words that we have lost:

• Marriage
• Education
• History
• Business
• Government
• Politics

If this concept of reclaiming words is unfamiliar to you, take a bit of time and compare and contrast these words by looking them up at dictionary.com vs the 1828 Dictionary. I love the 1828 Dictionary because Noah Webster produced this gem of a resource at the height of when America enjoyed a Christian culture. This was the fruit of the Great Awakening.

Let’s take the word “politics” for example. In dictionary.com, we read:

Politics  [ pol-i-tiks ] noun (used with a singular or plural verb)

1. the science or art of political government.
2. the practice or profession of conducting political affairs.
3. political affairs:  The advocated reforms have become embroiled in politics
4. political methods or maneuvers: We could not approve of his politics in winning passage of the bill.
5. political principles or opinions: We avoided discussion of religion and politics. His politics are his own affair.
6. use of intrigue or strategy in obtaining any position of power or control, as in business, university, etc.

Who wants to get involved in politics unless they are willing to: 

• become embroiled
• use intrigue or strategy in obtaining any position of power or control
• tread on an opinion that is “his own affair”

Let’s compare this to “politics” in the 1828 Dictionary:

Should we, as Christians, be involved in:

• ethics?
• the preservation of its safety, peace and prosperity?
• defense of [our] existence and rights against foreign control or conquest?
• the augmentation of our strength and resources?
• the protection of [our] citizens in their rights?
• the preservation and improvement of their morals?

[You may purchase your copy of the 1828 Dictionary here.]

Have you ever heard these worldly statements in Christian circles:

• Politics are dirty
• The Church is above politics
• Politics are “worldly”

Let’s contrast these misunderstandings with the reformed attitude developed by our Founders. This was developed by intense reading of their beloved Bibles yearly, the Great Awakening and a Biblical worldview which steered them to believe:

“The Church must take right ground in regards to politics… The time has come that Christians must vote for honest men, and take consistent ground in politics, or the Lord will curse them.… God cannot sustain this free and blessed country, which we love and pray for, unless the Church will take right ground.  Politics are a part of a religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to the country as a part of their duty to God… He will bless or curse this nation, according to the course they [Christians] take.”  ~  Charles Finney 

“A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing … than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?” -George Washington

“Now, the ‘Lord’ I’m referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever He is Lord, there is freedom.”  2 Cor. 3:17 TPT

Can you feel a shift in your spirit from asking the Lord to “save America” to being willing [by His Grace!] to shoulder His Lordship as it says in Isaiah 9:6-7:

… Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. 

What great victory He longs to give us once we shoulder His government. [We ARE His body.] Then we could read this and truly understand that this is our portion and our Promised Land.

No matter how murky the waters or worldly our politics have become in our absence and in the vacuum that we have left, “God so loved the world, that He sent his only Son…”  (John 3:16)

Surely Jesus will anoint us to possess this Land of Education, of Politics, of Government and of Business as we seek His face, read His Word and obey Him.

Do you want to join me in the first baby step in this adventure? Do you want to learn how to instruct, enlighten and guide precious, blood-bought sheep through the murky waters of current events to God’s promised green pastures through obedience to His Word?

As Romans 12:2 NKJV says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

It is a transforming process which begins right at our commitment to Christ’s salvation and Lordship of our lives. We receive His Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We then begin this wonderful journey to know Him and the power of His resurrection. We grow as we read His Word, begin to understand, know and practice it. What an adventure!

Would you like to join me in a study to do this? This is the first baby step that we guide you into to develop your own Biblical Philosophy of Education.

I hope you join us!

© 2021 Mrs. Brenda MacMenamin, All Rights Reserved. Permission given to share pages and posts in entirety.

Sign up for the FREE weekly blog. I will be sharing bits each week about Biblical Worldview Education and methodology.

Doesn’t Colossians 2:8 KNJV warn us so clearly, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Yet we now see a tremendous trap that has been laid on America for 200 years now that has cheated and deceived us through our government school system. It is time for a change, for a deliverance, for a reformation. Are you ready?

I love Zechariah 4:10 that urges us, “‘Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.’ (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)” Is He searching for us to step out of the shadows of all this chaos, fix our eyes on Him, the Author and Finisher of our Faith to raise up a standard in the midst of it all?

Are our little ones worth laying aside all the darkness and confusion to blaze a new trail? Where to begin? How do we start?

I am looking for a small team that is willing to take 12 weeks to each renew our own minds, to lay a Biblical foundation in regard to education. The best resource that I have found is “Renewing the Mind” available through FACE.net. it is available as a download and as a paperback.

This may seem strange, but after reviewing my notes from having taking and having taught this class several times, I want to start with Lesson 4 that covers “The Notebook Method” of learning. It is different. It may seem hard. But once this method is mastered it is delightfully liberating not only for the student but for the teacher. It is very similar to the maxim that we hear that “It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him fish.”

When we read His Story from original documents, we read that John Quincy Adams requested blank books from his father, so that he could record what he was learning in Europe. We see that Nathaniel Bowditch recorded his learning and started a new notebook with every learning endeavor when he was indentured as a young man. Thomas Jefferson refers to his notebooks and George Washington’s notebook for Geometry reveals his amazing but then typical, handwriting of a 13 year old boy in that era:

It is such a delight to read  the Word as if we have never read it before, to search for Biblical Principles in each and every endeavor we undertake. I pray that this is a New Beginning for us!

So if you want to join us, go shopping for a one-inch width notebook that you can add pages to as you work through this study with us. You will also need a Bible, of course. 

Other books that you will find helpful and delightful, but not are not mandatory are: The Christian History of the Constitution, Teaching and Learning, the 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary. These are all available at face.net. I will give links to some great resources in class.

I have pushed the first class back one week to accommodate some of the students’ schedules. I will email this to you as you sign up here. The course is $120, that is only $10 per week and is much more rewarding than a secular movie or another meal out! Please sign up before 1/31 and pay $100!

If you are believing God to put food on your table, have two people to sign up and contact me for your FREE coupon.

There are two classes from you to choose from on Monday, so please let me know which is best for you. One will be from 1-3 PM; the other is 6:30-8:30 PM. We have a host for each class so both will have the option to meet in person and to meet online!  (Glory to God Almighty!!) As you sign up, please let me know whether you will join in person or online and if you are joining the afternoon or evening class?

I can hardly wait to begin. I can hardly wait to meet you and to work with you and this team. I can hardly WAIT to se what God Almighty does!!!  He is GLORIOUS, isn’t He!

If you are not able to take the class presently, you can still get these fantastic resources and begin the journey. I will be posting each week this whole year about education. You can comment in the section below. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions!

May the Lord bless our efforts to press into Him and His Ways.

Father, we dedicate this year to You, we set our face like flint to seek You, to seek Your will, to seek Your Way. Come take us by the hand, lead us into this Promised Land. Help us take out the giants that mock us, mock You and steal our little ones. We are not afraid of them because we know that this battle is not ours, but Yours. Anoint us now Father. Let us hear from You daily and obey Your still small Voice for it is You that we Trust. 

May You be glorified in all that we set our hands to do. In Jesus Mighty, Glorious, Holy Name we pray. AMEN!  

In His Service,

Bren

Dr. Brenda MacMenamin

Every American Believer needs to grasp the depth of Biblical truth that was built into the foundations of our country – and then learn exactly what needs to happen to move us back toward our Biblical roots.    ~ Sam Chess, Senior Pastor  Grace Emmanuel Church 

“Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done… that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments…” ~ Psalms 78:4,7

© 2021 Mrs. Brenda MacMenamin, All Rights Reserved. Permission given to share pages and posts in entirety.

Sign up for the FREE weekly blog. I will be sharing bits each week about Biblical Worldview Education and methodology.